No conflict between UK Christmas Covid plans – Nations over Drakeford
FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford has said “there are no sticking points, there are no disagreements” regarding discussions between the UK nations about plans for Christmas.
He said the four chief medical officers have been asked to “look together at the detailed work that is being done” on whether restrictions can be eased over the festive period, and provide their views.
Mr Drakeford said: “I’m generally hopeful that we will reach an agreement on a range of issues, but travel is the one I think which is most important to us in Wales because of the permeable nature of our border.
“But the other things that will need to be thought about are how long any period of relaxation might last, the extent to which a greater degree of household mixing might be possible during any period of relaxation, how we factor in things like movement of people from one part of the country to another.”
He said the UK nations will also have to “plan together” for the fact that as people mix and get together at Christmas, coronavirus will spread.
“If for the special reasons of Christmas we are to allow more of that to happen, there will be a period afterwards where we see those figures rise again and I am keen that across the UK, we think about that together and think about what measures we may need to take in response,” Mr Drakeford said.
The Welsh Labour leader said although there has been “a great deal of speculation” about what the UK nations’ Christmas plan will look like, “it is still being worked on”.
He rejected the suggestion that Wales could be in a worse position to accommodate a relaxing of measures over Christmas having already entered and left lockdown.
England will continue with its own second lockdown until December 2, Northern Ireland will enter a twoweek circuit-breaker next Friday, while Scotland has placed two million people in its toughest level of restrictions for three weeks.
Mr Drakeford said: “The brakes were applied early because that was the advice of (scientific experts) Sage. The earlier that we could introduce a firebreak, the more effective it would be.
“I don’t think it would be a fair reflection to say that by going early we have created risk.”
Meanwhile, the First Minister urged people not to dash out for the traditional post-Christmas sales.
Urging retailers to think carefully about enticing large crowds in for traditional Boxing Day and January sales, Mr Drakeford also asked people to think about how and when they shop.
While he fell short of telling people not to go shopping, he asked retailers to alter the dates for traditional after Christmas sales this year.
“If people think that dashing out to the shops because of some enticement from the retail sector....then I’m afraid the impact of that will be felt not just in those people’s lives but what we will all be facing as a result,” Mr Drakeford said.
He said, that while “most retailers are responsible”, sales also carry the risk of the virus spreading when large numbers travel to shops and mingle outside.
“There is nothing time critical about sales in the post Christmas period,” he added at today’s Welsh Government coronavirus briefing.
“We have worked very hard with the retail sector, and others, to try to find a pathway through to Christmas where those shops can stay open because, I understand, if you are selling goods for Christmas you need to sell them by December 25.
“But beyond Christmas, to me, there is much less of a case for trying to encourage people to come together in large numbers and run the risks that will inevitably be there.
“So I am hoping our retail sector will go on doing all they have done, very carefully, already, but also think carefully whether or not patterns of sale beyond Christmas can be
smoothed out and done over a longer period rather than encourage people to all rush to the shops together.”
And his message to those hoping to nab a seasonal post Christmas bargain was: “Do it sensibly. Don’t go mad because of some sort of advertising campaign.
“Think carefully the risk you are running and the risk you are taking in relation to other people as well.
“If you do it that way and think of all the avenues available to you, the times of day and and places you can go, if people approach it in that way then the risks will be minimised.”
When non-essential shops re-opened after Wales’ firebreak lockdown thousands of people flocked to town and city centres to go shopping.
As the 17-day firebreak lockdown ended in Wales on November 9 shoppers packed onto Cardiff’s streets causing huge queues outside many shops.
Analysis by the Centre for Retail Research earlier this year showed 125,515 retail jobs have been cut and 13,867 shops have permanently shut across high streets, shopping centres and retail parks this year.